The growing rates of
obesity worldwide call for intervention strategies to help control the pathophysiological consequences of
weight gain. The use of natural foods and bioactive compounds has been suggested as such a strategy because of their recognized
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. For example,
polyphenols, especially
anthocyanins, are candidates for managing
obesity and its related metabolic disorders.
Obesity is well known for the presence of metainflammation, which has been labeled as an inflammatory activation that leads to a variety of metabolic disorders, usually related to increased oxidative stress. Considering this,
anthocyanins may be promising natural compounds able to modulate several intracellular mechanisms, mitigating oxidative stress and metainflammation. A wide variety of foods and extracts rich in
anthocyanins have become the focus of research in the field of
obesity. Here, we bring together the current knowledge regarding the use of
anthocyanins as an intervention tested in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials to modulate metainflammation. Most recent research applies a wide variety of extracts and natural sources of
anthocyanins, in diverse experimental models, which represents a limitation of the research field. However, the literature is sufficiently consistent to establish that the in-depth molecular analysis of gut microbiota,
insulin signaling, TLR4-triggered
inflammation, and oxidative stress pathways reveals their modulation by
anthocyanins. These targets are interconnected at the cellular level and interact with one another, leading to
obesity-associated metainflammation. Thus, the positive findings with
anthocyanins observed in preclinical models might directly relate to the positive outcomes in clinical studies. In summary and based on the entirety of the relevant literature,
anthocyanins can mitigate
obesity-related perturbations in gut microbiota,
insulin resistance, oxidative stress and
inflammation and therefore may contribute as a therapeutic tool in people living with
obesity.